Rosa's Gift
by Harmne
Summary: Short one-shot, slightly UA. Something a little different...


**_A/N: My muse is being REALLY uncooperative with my stories-in-progress, and this one said it was ready. Just a little AU (sort of) one-shot to tide you over. Thanks to Alf, for reassuring me it isn't TOO out there. Please let me know what you think!_**

_Disclaimer: Characters property of JE and borrowed without permission. The story is mine._

**Rosa's Gift**

Ranger listened as the shower came on, then stalked out to the living room where he had room to pace. He was in a quandary.

Stephanie's apartment had been broken into -- again -- and she'd been attacked. She was okay, thank god, but she was a little banged up and shaky. Morelli was out of town and seemed to be permanently out of the picture anyway. Her assailant was still at large so there was no way Ranger would leave her in that damned apartment and she hadn't wanted to go to her parents' house. All the apartments downstairs were occupied so he'd brought her here to his apartment. Which would have been a pleasure rather than a problem… on any normal night.

He sighed and untied his hair, running his fingers through it as he looked out the window into the dark night sky. He couldn't put it off any longer; it had to be done tonight. Stephanie had been pretty wired but he was hoping the shower would calm her so she'd go to sleep... No, he couldn't take that chance. What if she woke up? She'd freak. Hell, she might freak anyway.

He resumed his pacing, his shoulders twitching against the confines of his clothes. He pulled off his shirt without breaking stride. The gift from his grandmother Rosa was a two-edged sword. Both blessing and curse, the gift had saved his life numerous times both in the Rangers and afterward, when he'd taken on dangerous jobs as an independent contractor, and until now he'd had no problems keeping his secret. Until now. Until Stephanie.

Stephanie. His Babe. He smiled ruefully. How had she gotten so far under his skin? She'd made a place for herself in his life without trying, and everyone loved her. All the men in his company had feelings for her and most would lay down their lives for her voluntarily even as they joked about her being dangerous. Ella had damn near adopted her, keeping his apartment stocked with foods she liked just in case she came around.

God help him if his grandmother ever saw them together. One look and she'd know Steph had his heart, and she'd never let up.

He sat down and took off his boots, then resumed his pacing in bare feet. Absently he emptied his pockets, dropping his wallet, phone, and other items on an end table as he passed. The shower shut off.

--

Steph stood quietly in the bedroom doorway watching Ranger pace back and forth like a caged tiger. He'd been giving off weird vibes ever since he'd shown up at her apartment earlier and had set all her 'spidey' senses tingling. Like now. He didn't seem to realize she was there and Ranger was _always_ aware of his surroundings. Why was he pacing? He was usually so still it was spooky, and he was always composed. Something had to be wrong. Had something happened? Or was she keeping him from something important? No, he would have told her, and besides, he was already half-undressed. She stood a moment longer, watching the sleek play of muscle under his mocha-latte skin as he moved, the loose hair brushing his face and shoulders… and worried.

Finally after several long minutes she took a breath and stepped into the room. Ranger immediately noticed the movement and stopped, his head coming up and his eyes meeting hers. It might have made her feel better if his eyes hadn't reminded her once again of a caged wild thing.

"Ranger?" she ventured when he didn't speak. "What's wrong?"

Ranger ran his hands through his hair again before he spoke.

"Do you trust me, Babe?" he asked, moving to stand just in front of her.

"You know I do."

He took a deep breath. "I have something I need to tell you, Steph."

Her blood went cold. Ranger reached out to her, probably thinking she was going to faint. And she still might. "What's wrong?" she forced out of frozen lungs. "Is someone hurt? Y-you're not l-leaving, are you?"

Several emotions flashed across Ranger's face - surprise, confusion, and something else she couldn't quite identify - and he pulled her into his arms, holding her against his chest reassuringly.

"No, no, no-- nothing's wrong, everyone's fine, and I'm not going anywhere," he soothed. Relief made her feel light-headed and she curled into his chest, holding on to him. His arms tightened for a few moments, loosening only when he drew her down to sit beside him on the sofa. "It's nothing bad, I promise."

Steph pulled back to look at him. He gave her an almost-smile, and she wondered if she looked as confused as she felt.

"I just... I need to tell you something about me. Something very few people know."

Her jaw dropped. Ranger was going to tell her one of his secrets? Voluntarily?

He turned his head with a faint frown, abruptly got up to resume his pacing, back and forth in front of the sofa.

"Do you know the word brujo?"

"I've read it somewhere," she said slowly, frowning. "I think it has to do with voodoo, doesn't it?"

"Something like that, yes. Some people say 'witch' but it's not quite the same. Never mind - the details aren't really important as long as you have the general idea."

This was as close to babbling as she'd ever seen Ranger, and it was disconcerting to say the least. Whatever it was he wanted to tell her must be very important to him, and he seemed to be having a hard time finding the right words. She braced herself and paid attention.

"My Grandmother Rosa's father was a powerful brujo in Cuba, and she inherited some of his ability. When she and _Abuelo _immigrated to the States she no longer practiced openly, and I'm not sure my mother even remembers it. But when I came home on leave from the Army to tell my family I was going into the Rangers, _Abuela_ made an exception. She asked me to visit her and she made a charm for me; a very powerful charm that would save my life many times in the following years." He paused and looked at Steph sitting silent on the sofa, listening intently.

Stephanie was afraid he was going to change his mind. "Just tell me! Whatever it is--" she took a deep breath and met his eyes. "Whatever it is, I'll deal with it."

He gave her a slow nod. "I hope so, Babe." He, too, took a deep breath and let it out before continuing. "_Abuela_ Rosa anchored the charm with this," he brushed his fingers across the small dragon tattoo in the hollow of his shoulder just below his collarbone. "She gave me the ability to shape-shift."

Stephanie's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open but she didn't make a sound and she didn't interrupt.

"It's not like I'm a werewolf or anything," he said with a tiny smile. "I can change into a cat, any large cat – lion, tiger, leopard – when I need to. I've used it only in the most extreme circumstances, and I've kept it secret. The only people alive who know are _Abuela_, Tank…and now you."

It took several tries, but Steph finally got her voice to work, and it still came out as just a whisper. "Okay."

Ranger smiled slightly as he watched her try to get her mind around what he'd told her. He waited patiently, even though it was hard for him to stand still, until she finally looked up at him again. He knew she'd have a lot of questions.

"Why are you telling me this now?" she asked in a hushed voice. He was a little surprised she'd asked that first. She sounded a little worried.

"Because there is one small catch to the spell – I have to use it every so often or it will build up and force a change. I'm sure you can imagine how…_inconvenient_ that could be."

Steph's lips twitched up and she nodded. She waited patiently, without interrupting with another question, so he continued.

"It's been a while since I used it – nearly too long. I need to change tonight or I may lose control. It's pushing me."

"Change," she repeated faintly. "Tonight. Here? In your apartment?"

"I don't think I'll have time to drive out of town, and it wouldn't be a good idea for a big cat to wander around in downtown Trenton," he said dryly.

"No," she agreed with a faint smile. "I guess not." He watched her struggle with the idea, then debate with herself whether to ask the question or not. After a moment she did. "Do I need to leave? I could…I can go to a motel."

"You don't need to leave. The change is only physical. I'm not going to go wild or attack you when I change. I'm still _me_ inside the cat. I can think and hear and understand the same as always, I just can't speak. I thought about waiting until you'd gone to sleep so you didn't have to see, but I was afraid you'd wake up…" he trailed off.

"…and completely freak to find a big cat in the apartment and you missing," she finished for him with a wry smile. "Yeah, that would _not_ be good. Especially since you put bullets in my gun."

"There was that, too," he agreed, giving her a small smile. For a moment they just looked at each other. Stephanie broke first.

"I'm not sure what to say. I have about a million questions, and I know I shouldn't ask…"

"You can ask me anything, Babe. I wouldn't have told you if I didn't trust you."

Steph's eyes filled and she rapidly blinked the tears away before they could fall. "You know I trust you, and I'd never do anything to hurt you," she admitted softly. "Is there anything I should do? Or shouldn't do, while you're…changed?"

He debated a moment before answering. "No, I don't think so. Just remember I'm still me – you don't need to be afraid of me, I would never hurt you. It would be best if you don't let anyone else into the apartment, of course. You can talk to me – I'll understand you. But I won't be able to talk."

"How long do you need to stay a -- in that form?"

"A couple of hours would be good. Longer would be better because it gives me more time before I have to change again, but I can change back anytime. I can wait until you're asleep if you want. Keep the bedroom door closed and I won't bother you, you don't have to see me."

"Are you going to watch TV or something?" she asked with a trace of humor in her voice.

"No. Television doesn't look right through a cat's eyes. I'll just walk around or maybe sleep a while."

Steph looked down and fidgeted a little. Ranger caught it and waited. When she didn't ask whatever question she was worrying about he prodded her gently.

"Whatever you want to ask, its okay."

She bit her lip, flicking a look up at him then looking back at her hands. "It's just… I don't want to sound like a weirdo, but I want to keep you company…while you're, um, changed."

"That's not a problem, Babe. I would like to have company."

"Does it hurt?" she asked quickly, so quietly he almost didn't hear her. "When you change, does it hurt?"

He smiled. Leave it to Steph to worry about him. "Not much. It feels strange, kind of like the pins-and-needles feeling you get when your foot's gone to sleep and is waking back up. Only stronger." He paused, wondering, then asked. "Do you want to watch me change?"

Her head came up in surprise. "I-I don't know. I don't think so. Maybe."

Even as he smiled at her, Ranger's skin prickled. He sighed, running his fingers through his hair again. "If it bothers you to see me after I change, just tell me. It's okay, I'll understand. I can stay in a different room where you don't have to see me. If you don't want to be here with a cat and you decide you want to leave, there's a RangeMan credit card with your name on it under the telephone in the kitchen – you can take one of my cars and go to a hotel, just please let the control room know where. You can even take Lula or Mary Lou along and someone will be on guard nearby. Okay?"

"Okay," she answered, but she sounded a little shaken.

His tone gentled. "I appreciate your offer to keep me company and I'll try to answer any more questions later, but do you mind if I change now? It's getting uncomfortable."

"It's okay with me." Steph stood up, clasping her hands in front of her uncertainly.

Ranger gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll go into the bedroom to change." He waited until she nodded, then he headed for the bedroom. He left the door ajar but turned off the light.

Steph waited anxiously, straining to hear anything. It seemed like an hour but only a couple of minutes passed before a big, sleek black leopard nosed the door open and walked silently into the living room.

It padded steadily toward her. When it was within a few feet of her, Steph's legs gave out and she sat down hard on the end of the coffee table. The big cat sat in front of her and looked at her with obsidian eyes. From deep in his throat came a '_purrup?'_ sound, similar but much deeper than Mrs. Delgato's cat used to make, as if he was asking if she was okay. It was bizarre enough to startle her into a shaky laugh.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I'm just having a hard time getting my head around this." She tentatively reached out then stopped. "Is it okay if I touch you?"

The leopard curled his head down and leaned it against her knee, rubbing slightly. Steph stifled a nervous giggle and gently stroked her fingers through the soft fur. The cat turned its head the other way, inviting her to stroke the other side. And just like that, Steph accepted it. She buried the fingers of both hands in the thick fur, stroking and scratching, and she smiled. "Your fur is so soft…"

Ranger-cat leaned against Stephanie's knee, enjoying her touch in an entirely new way. That first faint spike of fear was gone from her scent already. Incredible. It was amazing. She accepted him, even in this form, and he promised himself he'd tell her how much that meant to him. Even Tank, his oldest and dearest friend, still had trouble trusting him in any of his cat forms.

Did she have any idea how much her trust meant to him? How much SHE meant to him?

Steph laughed as a rough pink tongue licked her arm and the back of her hand. "Hey, leave some skin! Your tongue feels like sandpaper!"

A low growl came from her stomach and she flushed. Ranger-cat sat back on his haunches and regarded her with knowing eyes, then stood up and head-butted her until she got up off the coffee table. Then he used his teeth to grab the bottom of the shirt that she was wearing – one of his –and tugged her toward the kitchen.

Steph was being dragged toward the kitchen by a big black leopard, and she could barely keep from laughing. "I guess you think I should eat something?" she asked. "Are you hungry, too?"

It was bizarre but not too surprising when the leopard hooked a huge black claw in the handle of the fridge and pulled it open. He then stepped back and looked from Stephanie to the contents of the shelves.

Steph crowded up against him to see. Inside there were cups of yogurt, a loaf of the multigrain bread Ranger liked, some salad, and large bowl of what looked like chicken that had been cooked and diced into cubes. She wrinkled her nose and looked at Ranger-cat.

"You're not trying to tell me to eat salad, are you?"

He just looked at her.

"Okay, okay, I know. You want some of the chicken. Do you want yogurt, too?"

He looked back at the shelf, stood and put one paw on top of a cup of plain yogurt.

She grabbed the yogurt, the bowl of chicken, and the salad. She found a plate and a bowl in the cabinet for Ranger, and a bowl for herself. Working at the bar, she made a salad with some of the cold chicken for herself, topping it with the fat-free dressing that was all that was in the fridge. The rest of the chicken she put on the plate. She scooped the yogurt into a bowl, thought a minute, then got out two bottles of water and another bowl.

"Okay, where do you want to eat? At the coffee table?" He just headed that way in answer to her question.

She put the plate and two bowls on the table for Ranger, filling the empty one with water, and then settled in the corner of the sofa with her bowl. The remote for the TV system was on the arm, so she flicked it on and went through channels until she found an old movie she kind of liked. They ate in companionable silence, with Steph pausing a couple of times to watch the panther with a bemused look. Once they were finished she picked up the empty dishes and carried them back into the kitchen.

When she got back to the sofa, Ranger-cat was stretched out on it looking smug. The TV sound was off.

"Hey! What did you do that for? Where's the remote?"

The leopard just looked away, a rhythmic rumbling noise coming from his chest that after a moment she realized was a big cat's purr.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You're laying on it, aren't you?"

He just looked at her impassively, but the tip of his tail twitched.

"Bad kitty!" she said, struggling to keep a straight face. "Give it back!" She dived at the sofa, sliding her hands beneath the leopard's belly and feeling around, moving upwards towards his neck. He squirmed and batted gently at her with a big furry paw, claws retracted.

When she didn't find it, she switched tactics and tried to pull him off the sofa. That didn't work, he weighted a ton. She switched tactics and started pushing, then caught him by surprise, switching back to pulling very suddenly, and managed to slide him off the sofa, along with the cushions, and the remote hit the floor. As she reached for it, however, he pounced and batted it away.

She cracked up. And the game was on.

He kept it away from her for several 'plays', then she managed to scoop it up and ran for the living room. He jumped completely over the sofa and got between her and the TV.

"Hey, you're cheating!"

He head-butted her while she was laughing and she staggered off-balance, dropping the remote. He snatched it up and leaped over the sofa again. She was hot on his heels, laughing her ass off.

They played keep-away around the dining room table. Then he was a fraction of a second too slow (or he let her get it) and she took off running with it again. This time he tripped her, reaching out with one paw and snagging her foot. She fell, still laughing, rolling unhurt on the thick carpeting. He stepped over her and lay down with his front paws and head on her back, pinning her down.

Giggling breathlessly, she squirmed, trying to get out from under him. She managed to roll over onto her back but he still had her pinned.

Ranger-cat took advantage of her new position and licked her face.

"Eew!" she protested, dropping the remote to fist her hands in the fur on either side of his face. At first he thought it was because she didn't want an animal licking her. Then she caught her breath enough to continue. "Don't lick my face! You'll get icky lotion in your mouth!"

He licked her gently a couple more times just to show her he didn't care. She shoved at him and he let her push him over, flopping down to lay on his side, panting lightly.

Steph crawled over and laid her head on his ribcage, and he started purring again.

For a while they just lay there at ease with each other until finally Steph started yawning. Ranger-cat was thirsty, so he nudged her up and padded into the kitchen. She followed.

He stood on his hind legs at the sink, touching the controls with his paws. "Wouldn't you rather have bottled water?" Steph asked, but he just patted the handle again. Steph turned it on for him and let it fill his water bowl where it sat in the sink. While he drank, she got another bottle of water. She drank it while she wandered back into the living area, picking up the remote control and straightening the sofa, replacing the cushions they'd pulled off. By the time she finished she was yawning.

Ranger-cat noticed and went to her, taking her hand gently in his mouth and leading her to the bedroom. She got the hint and went to get ready for bed, changing her clothes and brushing her teeth. When she climbed into the bed Ranger-cat made to leave, but she called him back.

"You can sleep in your own bed, Ranger," she chided him. So he leaped up and made himself comfortable, letting her shift so that she could lay her head close.

Ranger-cat began to purr again, softly.

--

Steph woke in the early hours just before dawn with a tingly feeling, and managed to pry open her eyes. She was quick enough to catch the shimmer that began to cloud the air around the big cat lying in front of her. He was watching her, his large dark eyes reflecting the faint light from the bathroom night-light.

Her hand was still tangled in his fur, she realized. She'd gone to sleep listening to him purr panther-style as she'd rubbed his ears… When it finally clicked in her brain that the shimmer was probably the beginning of the change, her breath caught. What if it was a really bad idea to be touching him right now? But it was already too late. As she watched, the cat seemed to 'melt' and reform as the man between one blink and the next.

"Ranger," she whispered. She felt like she should say something – anything – but nothing came. Her fingers flexed involuntarily and she found they were now tangled in Ranger's hair.

His eyes were still fixed on her face intently, holding her mesmerized. Slowly he raised one hand and slipped it around her body, pulling her closer. He rose over her with deliberation, giving her time to object, then slowly lowered his head and took her mouth with his.

Steph moaned as he deepened the kiss, and her grip on his hair tightened. She wasn't sure which of them was more surprised when Ranger's throaty growl sounded more feline than human.

Then she didn't think at all as Ranger proceeded to claim her as his own in the most primal of ways.

--

Ranger woke early, feeling better than he had in months, his arms still holding Stephanie tight against him. Part of him still marveled at how simply she'd accepted his strangest, darkest secret. And he knew beyond doubt that she'd keep it safe always.

She was his now. He wasn't sure how it would all work out but for him there was no going back. He just had to get her used to the idea.

Today was special. He wanted to take her somewhere they could be alone, where they could talk, because he had a lot of things he wanted her to know. There were a few things he wanted to tell her before his family realized there'd been a change. Especially _Abuela _Rosa – she'd know as soon as she saw him.

He woke her with kisses and coaxed her into the shower with him. If the shower took longer than normal, well, there was no one here to comment. By the time they'd gotten dressed Steph's stomach was growling, and he offered to take her out for brunch. Away from the building where they could talk.

There was a hesitant hope in Steph's eyes as they rode the elevator down to the garage, as if she'd also sensed something different going on. By the end of the day he was determined to replace the hesitance with confidence.

He seated her in the Turbo, then went around to slide behind the wheel. He froze in place when he saw Steph reaching up to touch a small pendant on a chain hanging from the rear-view mirror.

"What's this?" she was asking, turning the pendant in her fingers. It was a small black enameled dragon with brilliant blue eyes…

He couldn't help but shake his head, a rueful smile on his face.

"It's from _Abuela_ Rosa. A gift, for you. A welcome-to-the-family present."

Steph froze. "What? How?"

Ranger chuckled, sliding the chain off the mirror and slipping it over her head, lifting her curls free of the chain so the pendant could nestle itself between her breasts. "She's got magic, Babe – she _knows_. She approves. And she's happy for me."

He could see the beginnings of panic and pulled her into his arms, soothing her with kisses and words. "Don't worry, she'll keep it to herself. We can take everything one step at a time, at our own speed."

"Everthing?" she questioned, her voice slightly shaky.

His smile was happy and confident and reassuring. "The rest of our lives."

_The End_


End file.
